Video Poker is a well known game played using and electronic device such as computer with a display, a hand-held device or with a dedicated, video Poker gaming machine. In that the play of basic video Poker is the same whether it is played with a hand held, electronic novelty device, with a computer, through the Internet or with a dedicated gaming machine, the following description is primarily directed to a dedicated, video Poker gaming or video lottery machine of the type found in casinos.
To play the game according to the prior art, the player makes a wager by any suitable means such as by wagering credits, inserting tokens or the like. Once the wager is made the machine is prompted for play whereupon the processor for machine randomly selects from data representing a deck of playing cards, data representing ten playing cards. This data need is not arranged in any order and typically is configured as a data string representing the cards of the deck in no particular order. This order is fixed when the data string is constructed; however the random selection from the string makes the fixed order, at least to a degree, irrelevant. From this randomly selected data, five playing cards are displayed representing the initial holding and the data for the remaining ten cards is held in inventory. The player, using a touch screen on the game display or buttons on the machine, selects which cards to discard, if any, from the initial holding. The data representing the discarded cards is replaced with the inventoried data and the replacement cards are displayed. The final hand is (with or without replacement cards) is compared to a schedule of winning hands based on the ranking of hands of Poker. If the player has a winning final hand, they are paid based upon their wager. If they do not have a winning hand, their wager is lost. After determination of the outcome of the hand, the player makes another wager and plays the next hand according to the above.
For each new hand of play, the initial hand is selected from data representing a full deck of cards. This deck may have the standard fifty-two cards or may include an additional, wild, Joker. In this regard, it is further known to provide games according to the above based upon a deuces wild, Joker's wild and Joker's and deuces wild format. The play of a hand does not deplete the deck data stored for the next hand. It follows that the device does not track nor display cards remaining in the deck since there is no deck depletion as hands are played. Further there is no means for the player to select to “reshuffle” or not reshuffle after a series of hand since, according to the prior art, each hand is dealt from a full deck.
Video Blackjack is also a known game. According to this game, the player makes a wager and data representing a two card player hand and two card dealer hand are randomly selected and displayed from a full deck of fifty-two cards. The cards of the player hand are revealed whereas only one card of the dealer hand is shown. The player, using an input device, opts to stand, split, double down and take one or more hits to complete his hand according to the rules of the game. The dealer's hand is then revealed and completed. As between the dealer and player, the one having a hand count at or closest to “21” wins the hand. After the hands are completed and compared and any wager paid or collected, a new wager is made and cards are dealt from a fully constituted deck.
For the table game version of Blackjack, a series of hands are dealt from a deck and the deck is depleted to a point where the deck is re-shuffled.
Baccarat is another known game where a deck of cards is shuffled to configure the cards into a random, serial order and where multiple hands are dealt from the deck before a point is reached in penetration through the deck where the deck is re-shuffled.
Further, in regards to deck depletion through a series of hands for the play of games of the type described, the same does not occur with respect to electronic card games since the deck is fully constituted at the start of each hand. Further, where a deck is depleted over a series of hands, it is against conventional wisdom to display to players the remaining constituency of the depleted deck so they can see the cards available for play. In most jurisdictions, card counting, e.g. a player determining the remaining cards in the deck based upon the cards played (in Blackjack where multiple rounds of hands are played from a deck of cards) is a crime or a basis for ejecting the player from the casino.
There is a need for a game and method wherein, at least for a plurality of hands of play, the cards which have been played deplete the deck for the succeeding hand. There is also a need for a game and method wherein the processor tracks the cards which have been played and therefore can determine and display, if desired, the inventory of cards remaining in the deck for play of the next hand. Still further there is a need for a game where the player can order “reshuffling” if he/she desires. Further there is a need for a game of the type described above where re-shuffling of the deck data, if not ordered by the player, is required based upon one or more pre-selected triggers.